Medicare Bushfire Claims

The following provisions have been made to manage Bushfire Medicare claims.

  • Referrals are not required to be added to any Bushfire claims. This only relates to item codes identified in the Mental Health Services for Bushfire Response fact-sheet. These are listed below.
  • When a claim is submitted to Medicare with a Bushfire related code, no referral information is submitted even if one is attached to the appointment.
  • Both Bulk Bill and Patient claiming options can be used in the same way as usual
  • Bushfire item codes can not be processed on claims with other Medicare items that are not Bushfire related.
  • Mulitple Bushfire related items can be processed on the same claim.

The MBS item codes identified for exemption

GPs and medical providers: MBS item numbers

  • 91721
  • 91723
  • 91725
  • 91727
  • 91729
  • 91731
  • 91283
  • 91285
  • 91286
  • 91287
  • 91371
  • 91372

Clinical psychologists: MBS item numbers

  • 91000
  • 91001
  • 91005
  • 91010
  • 91011
  • 91015

Eligible psychologists: MBS item numbers

  • 91100
  • 91101
  • 91105
  • 91110
  • 91111
  • 91115

Occupational therapists: MBS item numbers

  • 91125
  • 91126
  • 91130
  • 91135
  • 91136
  • 91140

Social workers: MBS item numbers

  • 91150
  • 91151
  • 91155
  • 91160
  • 91161
  • 91165

Source: Mental Health Services for Bushfire Response, Page updated: 17 January 2020